The Raven and the Tamaranian
by Sainji
Summary: Raven will soon find herself reasoning with past, future, and feelings for a certain Alien. Things start picking up Chapter 3. Star/Rae..NOT discontinued.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer; don't own the Titans.

Note: goes with "But I Love You More". This fic is F/F meaning Girls Love. Raven/Star

Key:

---+ = a flashback

---+/= end of flashback.

**The Raven and the Tamaranian **

**One**

The Summer heat was unbearable for everyone, even _I_ had grown to stop wearing my cloak around the tower. Our air conditioning wasn't much, but it made for a great improvement in contrast to the threatening heatwaves outside.

However, one Titan seemed to be in good element. The orange-skinned Tamaranian was sitting in the dining room, giddily humming an unfamiliar tune (probably a Tamaranian song), and creating something with brightly colored construction paper and beautiful, vibrant, beads.

Things had returned to normal since that rainy night when Kori surprised me by weeping into my shoulder. Little did I know, that wouldn't be the only thing she'd do that would surprise me.

--- +

Three days after, on a similarly rainy night, the girl crept into my room and sat on the edge of my bed.

I had my back turned to her, re-organizing a bookshelf full of dusty tomes. Perhaps she thought I didn't know she was also occupying my room, for the girl remained silent, intently watching my back. The feeling of her eyes glued to me made me a bit uneasy and awkward, but I busied my mind with thoughts of _this goes there_ and _**that**__ shouldn't be __**here**_.

Perhaps the still silence was getting to her, for the girl cleared her throat and I tossed a glance over my shoulder, "Oh, Kori!" I said, pretending that I hadn't known that she was in here, "how long have you been here?"

Maybe she knew, but she smiled sweetly and shrugged. I placed a significantly damaged book on my desk and sat beside her on the bed, "is something wrong?" _Of __**course**__ something's wrong, no one comes in here otherwise._

She nodded, paused, shook her head from side to side, then looked at me uncertainly.

"Which is it?" I smiled soothingly, "I can't read minds......well...I _**can**_, but.." Not one for cracking jokes, I cleared my throat, only a bit embarrassed, "er..yeah."

Kori giggled lightly, but her gaze was fixed on her fidgeting hands, "erm...." She started making amusing faces, obviously looking for a _good_ way to word what was on her mind, "how do you....well....how do you know when you're in love with someone? No rather....what it like having someone...._like that_."

That was the first thing she said that caught me off guard, of all the people to go to for advice on love, she had come to _me_? More so, she seemed the type to know a lot about love. I silently rolled the question around in my head, I had only ever been in love maybe three times, I thought back to how I had felt around those people, but back then my powers were unstable and I had kept my distance from them, I had kept those emotions sheltered back then.

Was there someone I was in love with now?

Yes, undeniably.

But I wasn't ready to admit to _that_.

I shrugged, "Its like having a really good friend." I knew that was a stupid way to put it, but I didn't want to analyze something that felt different to other people. "Like having someone you can tell _anything_ to, all your secrets, _anything_. Someone that would stick through it all with you, your good and bad, ups and downs.....and someone that laughs at your jokes, no matter _how_ bad they are." I smiled at the last part, thinking of BB. I glanced at Kori, who was nodding and listening intently, "I have to admit, you always seemed to be the type that knew everything about such a topic."

The red head shrugged, "I was curious about what _you_ thought." She had said her thank you's and left the room.

An hour later, as I was getting ready for bed, she poked her head into the doorway, "Friend Raven?"

"Hm?"

"Can I sleep with you tonight?"

"Hnuh? What?" I thought my heart stopped as I jerked my whole body around to look the girl square in the eyes, "why?"

She shrugged, her eyes were red, as if she had been crying, "please?"

I silently nodded.

Needless to say, _I_ didn't get any sleep with the one _I_ love cuddled so closely to my body.

Of course, I wasn't ready to admit _that_.

---+/

I walked down the hallway, thinking back on the night. I remember the next morning, moving carefully so I wouldn't wake up the sleeping girl. I remember amused eyes and a sleepy smile, a soft chuckle escaping those lips as I apologized profusely for waking her. Most of all, I remember how fast my heart raced as I watched her sleeping image. An image that still made my heart race whenever I thought back on it.

I shook my head of the thoughts...the feelings.

They were all unrequited.

But a small part of me, deep down, wished that wasn't the case.


	2. Valentine Blues

_Pull your little arrows out_

_and let me live my life_

-+-+-+

_**The Raven and the Tamaranian**_

_**Chapter 2: The Valentines Blues**_

I don't detest Valentines Day, its just not my kind of thing. Its a day of couples, a day of wistful whispers of pledges and affections that you could tell your lover any other day of the year, but somehow have _more_ meaning, more _assurance_ on this particular day.

A day where children hand cards off to their friends, men buy flowers for their partners, and money in general just showers on businesses.

I'm single, so right now its just not my thing. _That_ year, however, it was just an act of impulse. A rare surge of courage.

_That_ year was just an act of friendship. Nothing more, nothing less.

Because _that _is what friends do for each other.

SI remember _that_ year, on a whim I had gone out and purchased a bouquet of flowers, after watching star solemnly look out at wandering couples. It was a bitter stare, that both frightened me and intrigued me. It was nothing I thought Star could know.

We sat together on a bench in a park, crime was slow that day and Robin told us to take the day off, perhaps the significance of the date slipped his mind as he locked himself in his quarters-probably so he could continue investigation on _Slade._

Children ran around, giggling and teasing each other about 'cooties', lovers looked longingly into each others eyes, even the birds seemed to be in pairs. After what seemed to be the millionth sigh eliciting from Kori's mouth, I stood and excused myself for a few moments, saying I wanted to check something out in private. My departure had gone unnoticed, I realized, because the Alien mumbled something incoherent and sighed once more.

I trudged through snow covered streets (which I found odd, since come this time last year it felt as if Summer was rearing its head like an angry dragon) thinking of what I should do to cheer the girl up.

I had many ideas, perhaps try to get Garfield and Victor to help plan a dinner for the two. Maybe drag Robin out of his dim room and convince him to take Kori somewhere special. Maybe _I _should take her somewhere special...as friends, of course. The more I thought, the more I cursed myself for not settling on something quicker, and I was now more than two blocks away from the park.

As I was turning back a sign caught my eye, decorated in cheap glitter and balloons and a weak floral arrangement. The words "**Discount**" were truly what had caught my eye, and had sold me instantly as I stumbled past two lovers kissing on the sidewalk.

I threw a disgusted look over my shoulder, and a sweet floral scent wafted into my nostrils.

"Can I help you?" A tackily dressed, plump woman looked in my direction, a large array of cheap necklaces dangled from her fat neck, many rings on her manicured and heavily painted fingers stood by the register looking in my direction.

Unpleasantly I attempted my best polite smile, "No, no. I'm just looking."

The lady shrugged and returned to her discussion with an equally tacky looking male. I resumed browsing the small shop, finding few things that truly met my interest. I concluded, that with such a poor selection, it was no wonder they hastily tacked up a discount sign in the front. I wasn't the only one wandering, a man with red hair was studying a bouquet of mixed flowers, a woman was purchasing a dozen roses for a funeral. A little boy was looking at the stuffed "Valentine" bears.

I was about to give up, I honestly did _not_ know what kinds of flowers Kori liked, and I myself was not a flower person, the only things I recognized where the roses and sunflowers....everything else, uncharted territory.

That is, until a certain bouquet caught my eyes. An array of exotic flowers, Wild, colorful, they smelt good too. They weren't overwhelming in the least. Best of all, they were only ten bucks.

I snatched up the bouquet, paid, and bolted out of the store, somehow I knew Kori would love them. And she did, wide, emerald green jewels glanced between my and the flowers lying in her laps. I smiled and waved my hand nonchalantly, "hey don't worry. I can't stand a depressed Starfire."

She dragged me into one of her infamous bone-crushing embraces, giggling and nuzzling my neck, a gesture that made my face burn, "hey, really....its nothing...Just...Happy Valentines day, Star."

Best of all, I remember Robins perplexed face and inquisitorial, "who gave you _these_?" When he noticed the beautiful flowers on the kitchen table.

I remember Kori smiling and giving me a knowing glance and saying, "oh, just a good friend."

I remember my heart skipping and inwardly smiling proudly.

But of course, it was an act of friendship. I could never bring myself to be something _more_. I was never bold enough to do such a thing.

-+-+-+-+-+

Now, lying in my bed, I wonder if there's someone, somewhere, who could save _me_ from the valentine blues.

**-+-+-+-+-+-+**

**Slow chapter, I know, I'm not used to doing things that _aren't_ one shots. Patience, m'dear. **


	3. A Shadow Cast

**NOTE: ** Still trying to hang in there!

**DISCLAIMER:** Nope, still not mine...

**Chapter 3: **

**A Shadow Cast**

I listened to the gentle, rhythmic humming of the vents as the air conditioning was once again kicked in for the day. The cool air floated over my body as I lay in my dark room, bits of sunlight peeking through the curtains but not at all posing a threat to my cool sanctuary. I rolled onto my side, originally I had planned on taking a light nap, but the insistent pounding of Cyborg's latest project was thumping in time to my raging headache. I came to realize the attempts at rest were in vain.

More so when a rough knock on my door caused me to jerk slightly in a dull shock. Why was I so edgy? Why was my heart racing? Why did I tremble under my blankets, and fight the urge to nervously look towards the door? Why did I stiffen when the door slowly opened and gently closed, why did I tremble at the feeling of a soft body gently lying against me? Whose hand was slowly trailing up my side? Whose breath blew hotly near my ear?

I was rolled onto my back, eyes lightly shut, feigning sleep as I gathered my boggled thoughts, as I attempted to make sense of what was going on.

A soft chuckle chimed into my ears, my heart stopped. Soft lips pleasantly caressed mine, and I soon found I could not open my eyes. I could not open them to look at this person. I could not open them as pleasure coursed through my body, as the person explored me knowingly, lovingly. I could not open them to look deep into the strangers eyes as I mutely whispered their name.

A name that fell deaf upon my ears, a name that felt foreign to my lips, yet native to my heart.

Finally, emerald orbs flashed before my closed eyelids, worried eyes. Alien eyes that innocently questioned the phrases and gasps that spilled from my mouth, eyes that studied the shivers and goosebumps that their body's invisible hands caused as they trailed down my smooth skin.

Eyes that pierced through my heart and tore my sanity, eyes that were just as suddenly ripped away by thousands of wicked hands. Eyes that pleaded for me to save them, to reach out and grasp her struggling hands, to grasp her wavering light.

My voice tore through my raw throat as a screamed the stranger's name, "STARFIRE!"

- - - - - -

I shot out of my bed, gasping and wildly glancing around my room, eyes fell worriedly on shadows cast by trinkets and statues littering my bedroom's floors. I slumped back onto my bed, steadying my rapid breathing, shaking hand resting on my chest, just above my raging heart.

And I thought.

I thought of everything and nothing.

Thoughts flowed through my brain like blood through veins. I wondered what it all meant, if it had meaning at all. But most of all, I wondered _why_ I would dream of doing _that_ with my _friend_.

My friend.

My friend who was now staring at me, worriedly.

"Star?"

"Are you alright?" she gently placed her hand on my brow, "you seem sick."

I reflexively flinched away from her, soon regretting doing so after a quick glance at the flicker of hurt that coursed in her green eyes, "I'm.....sorry. Star, I'm sorry. I'm just..." A smile on her face, the alien shook her head, "I see, I think you should get more rest, friend. I heard that you have been up late reading these books..." she gestured at the books littering the floor, "just sleep."

I frowned, I did not want to sleep, not after that dream. More so now that I knew I had unintentionally hurt Starfire with my dejected actions. I crumpled my blanket in balled fists, I opened my mouth to protest, but the Alien simply shook her head and placed her hand over my mouth, "no buts." She smiled politely, stood, and left the room.

I sat, rooted in shock. No doubt, my dream still having lasting effects on me. I knew the dream would be driving me crazy, driving me to flinch away from my own friend, it would cause me to be more cautious with the way I said things, the way I acted around her.

My eyes wandered to my desk, attracted to an odd gleam. Curious, I stood from my bed and strolled over until I noticed a rose. Not a real rose, for this one had a deep purple color, crafted with nothing but beautiful beads and simple construction paper. Shakily, I picked up the rose and turned it in my hand, had Starfire made this? Was _this_ what she was making?

I smiled to myself, gently replacing the rose-I'd find a good place for it later. Drowsiness once again washed through my body, and I found myself returning to the refuge of my comfortable sheets.

- - - - - - - - - -

Wind howled hauntingly, causing the hairs on the back of neck to stand, as I stood in the middle of the all-too-familiar ruins of my old home. I stood, seemingly invisible, to the two hooded woman that argued before me. Their facial features invisible to me.

"_Where is it?_" The taller of the two literally hissed, with a nails-on-chalkboard voice that caused me to flinch.

"What?" The shorter, plump one glanced around the ruins, as if expecting someone or something to pop up at any second.

"_You know what I'm talking about, _**_dolt!_**"

The other one paused in her actions, before gasping in realization, "OH! The _crys-_" pale hands shot out of the robes and covered the plump woman's mouth, "_NOT SO LOUD KAL!" _

"Erm..._that_, thing?" Kal pulled the hands away from her, "we uh...well....there's a problem..."

"**_What_**_ would _**_that_**_ be?" _the tall one clasped her hands behind her back and paced in the street, "_nothing you'll...._**_regret_**_, I hope." _

"Erm, well...." Kal played with the fraying sleeves of her robes, "You...you see, Mal'Zor, m'lady.....the....the _object_, if you will, appears to exist in...._another universe._" She squeaked nervously.

The one named Mal'Zor stopped momentarily, before throwing her head back in maniacal laughter, the other, uncertain of what to do, joined in nervously.

Mal'Zor threw her hood back, revealing a cold, hard face of a soldier, shiny dark blue hair that fell to her shoulder blades. She had a scar in the shape of a lightning bolt that ran ragged on the right side of her face, in the form of gruesome burned flesh that ran from her hairline to her jaw on her otherwise porcelain face.

Her hand once again shot quickly from her frayed robes, clenching Kal's fat neck and squeezing dangerously. She pulled the woman close, an action that then caused _her_ black hood to fall and reveal a fat cheeked, blonde, blue eyed woman. Her hair was pulled into a tidy ponytail. "_And _**_how_**_, exactly, do you plan on _**_fixing_**_ that?"_****She snarled in a low tone.

"Eran.....Eran is working on that as we speak, milady." Stumpy fingers clawed at long, thin ones, a feeble attempt for the other was obviously stronger. Mal'Zor eventually released the woman, a look of disgust on her face.

"_Gather the others, then._"

"M'lady?"

"_I _**_will annihilate _**_every world, in _**_every_**_ universe until I get my hands on my _**_prize_**_"_A wicked smirk spread across her face, _"What was the holders name, again?"_

"Well....well....It appears to be 'Koriand'r', or at least.....that's what the sage said."

My heart stopped, I felt my body being pulled back. A strange sensation that ripped me from my old home and back to my _new_ home. For the second time that day, I jolted out of bed in a cold sweat.


	4. Leather Bound Tales

**A/N: Kind of a filler, in this chapter Raven is reading a fairytale she had found in her library that is in relation to the Villain, Mal'Zor. Sorry it took so long to post such a short chapter up.**

_**Chapter 4:**_

_**Leather Bound Tales**_

Once upon a time, a great evil plagued the land of Kal'Thos. This great evil, was in the form of a deceiving and cunning princess. The princess wanted to topple her father, and rule the world with an iron fist. She wanted to rid the world of the week.

She, however, knew it would take a large amount of time, time that she did not have.

One day, she stumbled upon three traveling monks who had been discussing the power of 4 elemental stones; earth, wind, fire, water, and six sub-stones; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.

If all stones were to be brought together by a single person, that person would be granted the strength and power of a God. Two of the monks pulled out brightly colored stones, a blue one and a purple one.

With this, she knew, she would be able to achieve her dream.

The girl approached the monks, smiling politely she asked if they wanted to come to the palace for dinner, saying that they looked exhausted and deserved a small break from their trip.

Thanking her for her kindness, the monks agreed and followed her home.

- - - - -

The girl grabbed her kingdoms sweetest wine from the cupboard, she looked over her shoulder to be sure the men weren't watching before she snuck a vial out from under her robes. Popping off the cap, she poured the contents into the bottle and swirled it slightly.

"I sure hope you enjoy this wine!" She exclaimed in a chipper manner, "Our kingdom is famous for its wine. Its simply...to _die_ for!"

The monks chuckled, "We'll take your word for it!" one of the older ones smiled and sipped his wine. The others followed suit.

"So tell me, more of these stones you were discussing."

"They're dangerous if they fall into the wrong hands. In fact, we were just on our way to destroy the ones that we have." The blue eyed, younger of the group stated.

"But what if a monk such as yourself were to get a hold of all the stones? You could unify the world, could you not?"

"We could, but it is not of our interest. The world is beautiful and peaceful in its own way."

The princess smiled politely, and took a sip of her "wine" (which was really a mixture of water and cranberry dye). "And how did you find those?"

"Oh, well, I find mine traveling along the snowy cliffs of the Serpent Mountains. I saw this blue stone in the distance, and was enchanted by it."

"My father had this purple one. He gave it to me for good luck, it was not until recently that I realized what it was."

"The elemental stones are said to be find at the 4 corners of the world, in their respective elements," the first continued, " the sub-stones, are found at the six ancient wonder of the world. Sounds easy to find them right? Wrong. You must pass all the trials of the God's before you can get them. I figure my stone might have fallen from a traveler."

The two younger monks turned and looked at their paling companion, "you...you don't look well sensei!"

The old man narrowed his eyes, "she's....she's poisoned us!" he hissed sitting up, but soon doubling over and choking.

The two men looked at her, wide eyed. A smirk spread across her previously placid face, "I thank you, kind gentlemen. For that....enlightening information." She placed her glass of colored water on the table and stood, "had I not said it was to _die _for? I think you are exaggerating it."

All three men had toppled over, struggling to calm their feverish bodies, their pounding hearts. The two stones had fallen not far from them, the princess bent over and scooped them up, "I'll take excellent care of these." She said, nonchalantly, before leaving the dining room.

Several years passed, and the Princess grew into a stunning woman, scarred and torn, yet stunning all the same. She traveled the world in search of the stones, finding all the colored stones and two of the elemental stones. She studied magics, war tactics, and languages. She knew how to work people, how to get them to bend to her will.

She created alliances and tore apart nations, working her dream into a steady pace as she searched for the things that would pull it all together. She traveled under the identity "Mal'Zor", a name that gave children nightmares and caused great warriors to tremble.

--- - –

"Oh, give me a break!" I muttered, as I turned the page to find several pages of the story had been torn out of the book, leaving only the last page. "'And the world never knew such a threat so great, and many cursed the Gods for making such a terrible being immortal, forever cursed to travel between universes in search of the stones.' Well that's rather stupid, I mean, if the stones turn you into a powerful God, why are the Gods giving her another chance at _becoming a powerful God?_" Slamming the book shut I groaned and threw it carelessly over my shoulder, "This is just too much. I need to figure something out." I scanned through my books, "so, all I have to do is destroy the stones. Maybe I can just destroy Star's, and they'll stop searching. But _how_ do you destroy a magical stone?"

A thought occurred to me, but I brushed it off. "One does not simply toss a stone into mount Mordor."


End file.
